A WOMAN faces a lifetime ban on keeping animals after her horse was found lying dead in a field.

Rebecca Morrow, aged 37, of Hillmorton, Rugby, appeared at the new Warwickshire Justice Centre in Leamington yesterday where she pleaded guilty to four charges of animal cruelty.

The court heard how the 25-year-old pony, which she had owned for nine months, was found dead on Windy Ridge Farm, near Rugby, in January this year.

Nick Sutton, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said a concerned farmer had contacted the charity and led the inspector to the horse’s carcass.

He said: “It had been a freezing day, it had fallen on the floor and its legs had been thrashing about causing lacerations to its legs.

Its eyes were sunken in and its spine was protruding. Its bones were easily felt. There was a severe lice infestation.”

Mr Sutton explained how an equine dentist and vet previously raised concerns about the animal’s upkeep but Morrow ignored their advice to feed the pony specialist food.

The carcass was sent for examination to a Liverpool University professor who found dental loss and parasites.

He also found sand in the pony’s stomach, proof its poor teeth meant it could only chew soil.

“This horse was in a state that it should never have reached,” Mr Sutton said.

“If it was severely ill something should have been done, whether it be by means of euthanasia, and if it was curable it should have been treated by a veterinary surgeon.

“She knew it was sick and she did nothing,” he added.

Morrow admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by failing to provide adequate and nutritional food and failing to prevent lice infestation.

She also admitted failing to provide the necessary veterinary care and failing to provide a worm control programme for the pony

Vic Harding, defending, said Morrow’s behaviour was not malicious.

He said: “We are not dealing with someone who had a horse in March (last year) that was full of health and running around like a little colt. The horse was not in a good way and she took it on to give it TLC.”

Mr Harding also said work commitments meant the defendant was only able to feed the pony once a day at night.

Magistrates recommended Morrow is banned for life from keeping and caring for bovine and equestrian animals, but adjourned the case for sentence until later this month.

Morrow was released on bail on the condition she is banned from keeping animals until the hearing on Thursday, December 23.